From discrimination to respected academic

History of Japan's burakumin

Emotionally scarred growing up a burakumin

From monkey trainer to monkey theme park owner

Late politician blocked from PM for ancestry

How burakumin live in fear of their ancestry

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.

The Straits Times' Japan correspondent Walter Sim speaks with Japan's "untouchables", known as the burakumin. They are descendants of a shunned caste from a long-gone era, who are still ostracised in modern times purely because of their lineage. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning.

Official estimates number the burakumin at 900,000, but activists says there are as many as 3 million across the country who have moved out of the hamlets their ancestors once lived in.
Risa Kumamoto - emerging from discrimination against burakumin to become a respected academic (0:30)
History of Japan's burakumin (2:00)
Emotionally scarred while growing up as a burakumin (3:59)
Taro Murasaki: From monkey trainer to monkey theme park owner (7:46)


The late Japanese politician blocked from becoming Japan's Prime Minister in 2001, chiefly because of his ancestry (9:58)


How burakumin such as abattoir worker Yuki Miyazaki still live in fear of their ancestry being exposed in public (10:23)

Read the full story by Walter Sim: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-wanted-to-escape-this-life-by-hiding-who-i-was

Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Toh Wen Li, Yeo Sam Jo, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Discover ST's Invisible Asia podcast series:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuZn

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3s

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJH

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Invisible Asia Videos: https://str.sg/wuTU

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.
The Straits Times' Japan correspondent Walter Sim speaks with Japan's "untouchables", known as the burakumin. They are descendants of a shunned caste from a long-gone era, who are still ostracised in modern times purely because of their lineage. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning.
Official estimates number the burakumin at 900,000, but activists says there are as many as 3 million across the country who have moved out of the hamlets their ancestors once lived in.
<ol>
<li>Risa Kumamoto - emerging from discrimination against burakumin to become a respected academic (0:30)</li>
<li>History of Japan's burakumin (2:00)</li>
<li>Emotionally scarred while growing up as a burakumin (3:59)</li>
<li>Taro Murasaki: From monkey trainer to monkey theme park owner (7:46)</li>
<li>
The late Japanese politician blocked from becoming Japan's Prime Minister in 2001, chiefly because of his ancestry (9:58)
</li>
<li>
How burakumin such as abattoir worker Yuki Miyazaki still live in fear of their ancestry being exposed in public (10:23)
</li>
</ol>
Read the full story by Walter Sim: <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-wanted-to-escape-this-life-by-hiding-who-i-was">https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-wanted-to-escape-this-life-by-hiding-who-i-was</a>
Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Toh Wen Li, Yeo Sam Jo, Ernest Luis &amp; Adam Azlee
Edited by: Adam Azlee
Discover ST's Invisible Asia podcast series:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-link="https://str.sg/wuZn" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style="font-size:13px;color:#1155cc;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wu3s">https://str.sg/wu3s</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJH" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-link="https://str.sg/wuJH" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style="font-size:13px;color:#1155cc;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;">https://str.sg/wuJH</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626404128619000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHDSssxZli9RVXvUhGQgefEXSvPRA">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1636193968351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-SV_Tydir8eZuWRLk6bCe">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Invisible Asia Videos: <a dir="ltr" href="https://str.sg/wuTU">https://str.sg/wuTU</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a> 
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a> 
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a> 
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a> 
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a> 
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a> 
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a> 
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a> 
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a> 
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a> 
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a> 
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a> 
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a> 
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a> 
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a> 
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a> 
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a> 
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a> 
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of.

Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and podcast producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and podcast producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Invisible Asia series

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of.

Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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